ICRC & Humanitarian Aid

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For many years, Credit Suisse has been working closely with the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies worldwide, and is a member of the ICRC's Corporate Support Group.

Long-Term Commitment

In 2008, Credit Suisse was the first global bank to become a member of the Corporate Support Group of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This long-term partnership complements our relationships with national Red Cross societies, for example in Switzerland, Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Alongside the financial contributions, a major element of the partnership with the ICRC is the support given through expertise. Specialists from all areas of the bank provide their knowledge and skills to the ICRC in order to drive strategic projects forward, for example in the areas of human resources or IT. Such skills-based involvement enables employees to make targeted contributions.

The personal involvement of our employees also plays an important role in the partnerships with the national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, be it through participating in blood donation campaigns as in Hong Kong and Singapore or through fund-raising for disaster victims. In Switzerland, the collaboration with the Red Cross is particularly close and wide-ranging; Credit Suisse is active in initiatives for socially deprived families (2x Christmas), as blood donors, as members of the driver pool, with Redog (the Swiss Disaster Dog Association), or for "Mitten unter uns" ("In Our Midst"), a project aimed to help integrate children with a migrant background.

Humanitarian Aid

The Disaster Relief Fund is part of the Credit Suisse Foundation and supports the victims of natural disasters on a global level. By providing assistance quickly, we try to reduce the suffering of victims and help with reconstruction. Support can be provided in different ways: as an immediate contribution to relief efforts, through launching a fund-raising campaign among employees, and, depending on the extent of the disaster, by matching the funds that have been raised.

In recent years, the fund has provided support for the victims of the following disasters, among others:

the earthquake and the tsunami in Japan

the typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines

the earthaquake in Nepal

Support for Japan

The earthquake and tsunami that triggered the accident at the Fukushima nuclear reactor in March 2011 presented huge challenges for international disaster relief organizations. The Credit Suisse Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund is continuing to provide support to affected regions through the national and international Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations. Some of the financial aid was donated to specific projects in Japan to benefit children who were particularly impacted by the disaster. By combining donations from employees, the matching gift from the Credit Suisse Foundation and the immediate corporate contribution, Credit Suisse was able to donate a total of USD 5.5 million (CHF 5 million). We also donated over USD 200,000 (CHF 180,000) to various aid organizations that played a major role in the clean-up operations. Over 30 employees volunteered to assist with this process.

Support for the Philippines

In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan – one of the most powerful storms of its kind in over 30 years – hit the Philippines, causing widespread devastation. Almost 10 million people were affected. Credit Suisse encouraged employees to donate money to help the victims of this catastrophe and subsequently matched the sum they raised on a 1:1 basis. Over USD 630,000 was donated to the aid organizations Gawad Kalinga, Habitat for Humanity, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for their relief efforts, such as the reconstruction of houses or the distribution of food.